Zillah Smart Nutrition

28/12/2025

Anyone else still making a dent in the Christmas leftovers…? 😅
And is it Tuesday? Saturday? The 43rd of December?

This funny little week between Christmas and New Year can feel like total limbo — cosy, a bit sluggish, and like you’re not quite ready to think about January… but you would love something gentle and supportive to look forward to.

That’s exactly why I’m running my Winter Smart Reset, a 1-week reset starting 19th January.

This isn’t about punishing yourself for Christmas, or doing a hardcore detox. It’s a simple, structured week designed for real life to help you feel steadier, lighter, and more in control again.

What you’ll get (and what it’s designed to help with)
❄️A full 1-week menu plan + recipes (family-friendly, and vegetarian options available)
❄️Shopping list + clear weekly steps so you’re not overthinking it
❄️Meal prep ideas to make it doable alongside busy life
❄️A focus on blood sugar balance (hello steadier energy + fewer cravings)
❄️Support for hormone balance, bloating, and feeling more comfortable in your body
❄️And if your goal is weight loss, it can be a brilliant kick-start (in a sustainable way)

🫂 Support + accountability

You’ll also be in a private WhatsApp group for the week, where you’ll get:
✨️Personal encouragement and support from me
answers to questions as you go
✨️Support and motivation from others doing the reset too

It’s a gentle reset to kickstart your year and set you up beautifully for the lighter, brighter months of spring.

Early Bird Offer (ends 31st Dec at midnight)
✨ £48 per place
✨ £69 for two places (perfect if you want to do it with a friend for accountability)

Message me to reserve your spot and I’ll send you all the details 🤍
(And if you’re not ready to think about January yet, save this and come back when you are.)

23/12/2025

My reset isn't about New Year's resolutions but I also know what tends to happen in January: we wake up after the festive whirlwind and think “Right… I need to feel like me again.”

My Smart Winter Reset is for you if…

✅ You want to feel better in yourself after Christmas but without extremes.

✅ You’re fed up with the snacky/skimpy/guilty cycle.

✅ You want simple structure (especially if your brain loves a plan but hates a rigid plan).

✅ You’d love calmer energy, better cravings control, and more balanced moods.

We’re doing real life, in winter, with kindness.

I have an early bird price of £48 for the Winter Reset until the end of January or £69 for two places.

But if you’re in full Christmas survival mode right now, I see you. Come back to this when you’re ready.

21/12/2025

I’ve been a bit quiet lately. I’ve been deep in the December juggle: work, family life, and enjoying the run up to Christmas with the kids without the overwhelm.

But I’m popping back on because I’m running my Smart Reset: Winter which is starting on the 19th January.

The week will be the same format as my Autumn Reset (just winter-focused). If you missed this last time, this is the perfect opportunity to join.

This isn’t a New Year’s resolution thing.
It’s not a detox.
It’s not about punishment for enjoying Christmas.

It’s a gentle reset, a supportive structure for food + lifestyle habits to help you feel steady, energised, and back in your body again.

I’ll share details over the next few days ❄️

07/12/2025

Every few months there seems to be a new extreme way of eating:
🥩 Carnivore
🥓 Very low-carb / keto
🥤 Fasting “hacks”
🥗 Ultra-clean / “no fun allowed” diets

And the tricky thing is that these ways of eating often do bring some quick changes at first such as weight loss, fewer cravings, clearer skin, calmer digestion, improved blood sugars.

But here’s the catch:

✳️They’re hard to sustain. Cutting out whole food groups long term is mentally, socially and emotionally exhausting.

🧠 They can fuel obsession and anxiety around food (“good vs bad”, “on vs off the wagon”).

Your body doesn’t actually thrive on extremes forever. Over time, ultra-restrictive diets can mean missing out on important nutrients, fibre for the gut, and the joy and connection that come with eating. It may work in the short term but your body will eventually crave the nutrients it is low in.

Life isn’t static. Hormones, stress, illness, family life and seasons change, and a rigid plan that worked for 8–12 weeks often stops working when real life kicks back in.

Our bodies are designed for balance, variety and flexibility, not punishment.

That’s why I’m such a fan of a more Mediterranean-style way of eating and living for long term health. Its not a 'diet' it's a lifestyle:

✨️Plenty of colourful plants: vegetables, fruit, beans, lentils, whole grains

✨️Healthy fats: olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado, oily fish

✨️Moderate, good-quality protein

✨️Enjoying food slowly, with others, as part of everyday life

It’s not flashy, it doesn’t promise “drop 10lb in 10 days” – but it is one of the most researched, sustainable ways of eating we have, linked with better heart health, brain health, blood sugar balance and longevity.

If you’ve bounced between extremes and feel tired of being “all or nothing”, this is your reminder:
👉 You’re allowed to step off the rollercoaster.
👉 You don’t have to earn your food or justify your carbs.
👉 Building a way of eating you can imagine still enjoying in 5–10 years is far more powerful than any flash diet.

If you’d like help finding a balanced, realistic approach that works for your body and life, this is exactly what I do in clinic.

01/12/2025

Food prep has been a real game changer in our house. I really enjoy preparing a few foodie bits for the week on a Sunday. It gives me some bonus child-free time hanging out with Matt when we prep together and makes weekday mornings and lunches easier knowing I have some really tasty and nutritious food ready to go.

Here we are making some granola which will last the week, I'll add fruit and Greek yoghurt to it for breakfast, a great swap from breakfast cereal.

We also have a jar of quick pickled onions to add to our lunches or dinners and one of my current favourite soup/chowder recipes which gives me 4 portions to start the week off until we have some leftovers in the week.

Now I just need to toast my seed mix which will go in a jar and last a couple of weeks so I can sprinkle them on various lunches and dinners.

Do you prep any meals at the weekend?

24/11/2025

I'm putting an order in today so if you'd like anything let me know.

Black Friday starts now! 🖤

3 for 2 on all supplements - mix & match your essentials before they’re gone.

Your supplement essentials, your way ✨

23/11/2025

Sunday morning is for my power porridge whilst prepping some foodie bits for the week to make breakfast and lunches easier.

There can be a lot more to the simple bowl of porridge, I see it as an opportunity to slow down and add nourishment. See below for some of the options I like to pick from to add and why.

✨️Millet Vs Oats✨️

Sometimes oats can be a bit “speedy” on the gut – they’re high in soluble fibre, very fermentable for your gut bugs and contain a protein called avenin (a bit like gluten), so in some people that combo can affect the tum. Millet porridge tends to be gentler and more bulking, with a different fibre balance and less fermentation, so it often feels calmer and more predictable for sensitive tummies.

✨️Flaxseed oil✨️

A drizzle of flaxseed oil adds plant-based omega-3 fats that support hormone balance, brain health and calm inflammation, plus it helps keep your porridge extra satisfying.

✨️An egg✨️

Stirring an egg into warm porridge is an easy way to boost protein for better blood sugar balance, steadier energy and fewer mid-morning cravings.

✨️Maca powder✨️

Maca is a root powder traditionally used for stamina and resilience; it’s often loved for supporting mood, libido and overall hormone harmony, especially in perimenopause.

✨️Soaked nuts✨️

Soaked nuts are gentler on digestion and packed with healthy fats, protein and minerals like magnesium, helping to keep you fuller for longer and support your nervous system.

✨️Seeds for seed cycling✨️

Rotating different seeds through your cycle (like flax/pumpkin in the first half and sesame/sunflower in the second) is a gentle to support oestrogen and progesterone balance using food.

✨️Blueberries✨️

Blueberries bring a pop of natural sweetness plus antioxidants that support brain health, skin, and reduce oxidative stress, all in a handful of low-sugar, high-fibre goodness.
(I don't usually add that many blueberries, they fell out the punnet, wanting a blueberry party)

18/11/2025

Do you find yourself reaching for biscuits at 3pm?
If so, you’re not “lacking willpower” and you're certainly not alone, it’s usually a blood sugar dip.

Balanced meals (containing protein + fibre + healthy fats) keep your energy even, cravings calmer, and hormones happier.

How do I keep my blood sugar balanced?

✨️I don't skip breakfast and I always include protein and healthy fats such as nuts and seeds, Greek yoghurt or eggs.

Why is this important?

When you wake up, your cortisol naturally rises to give you energy for the day. If you don’t eat, cortisol stays higher for longer and your body releases more glucose into the bloodstream which can trigger blood-sugar instability, anxiety, irritability, and later cravings.

A balanced, protein-rich breakfast helps bring cortisol down, stabilise blood sugar, and support calmer hormones and energy through the whole morning. If you eat cereal or toast and jam, this will spike your blood sugar and begin the rollercoaster of spikes and dips for the day.

✨️I make sure I include protein and/or healthy fats with every snack and meal.

This includes a piece of fruit as a snack - I'll pair it with Greek yoghurt, nuts, or almond butter.

✨️I don't really snack between meals.

This isn't because I'm depriving myself but when you get into a habit of eating properly balanced meals rather than carb heavy meals, you don't actually feel hungry between meals or crave those mid-morning or mid-afternoon pick me ups.

Try it for a week and see how you feel.

What do you do to curb those cravings or do you find it difficult not to indulge?

15/11/2025

Today has left me feeling so inspired and grateful 💙

I’ve just spent the day at an Overcoming MS event, Living Well Live, listening to OMS experts/ facilitators including my own OMS mentor Sam, speaking about all areas of the Overcoming MS program and where research into lifestyle medicine is heading for MS.

A real highlight for me was hearing from special guest speaker Lina Nielsen, Olympic athlete, who lives with MS. Her story of resilience, mindset and trusting in what her body can do was incredibly powerful and emotional – a reminder of just how much hope there is, even with a diagnosis like MS.

And I have to say, the catering was incredible, so many food options that were fully OMS-friendly. Being able to eat everything on offer felt so seen, included and well cared for. 💚

What really struck me is how much mainstream thinking is now catching up with what OMS has been saying for years: that lifestyle can make a huge difference for those of us living with MS.

Many of you know my story and how important the Overcoming MS charity is to me, it quite literally changed my life. At a time when I was being told by my medical team there was no reason to be hopeful, OMS gave me a roadmap and real hope. I’m very glad to say the last 15 years have proven that first prognosis wrong.

I feel so honoured to now be part of the Overcoming MS team myself and to be raising awareness of lifestyle medicine and the power we do have to influence our health and wellbeing.

If you’re living with MS or supporting someone who is, please know: there is hope, and you don’t have to walk this alone. 💫

13/11/2025

As the evenings draw in, comfort food calls!
I love making hearty, balanced meals that feel comforting and keep energy steady. Think soups with lentils, roasted veg trays, or spiced porridge.

🍲 What’s your go-to cosy meal when the weather turns cold?

08/11/2025

What's in my cup tonight? ☕️

Tonight we are re-watching the final episode of Stranger Things season 4 ready for the final season later this month and what am I pairing it with?
A lovely Moringa latte. I love using it as a gentle nutrient boost rather than a “quick fix”, stirred into a warm latte with plant milk is an easy, cosy way to enjoy it. 🌿

What is Moringa?

Moringa (often called the “miracle tree”) is naturally rich in:

✨️Antioxidants – helping to protect cells from everyday oxidative stress.

✨️Vitamins A, C & E – supporting immune function, skin health and repair.

✨️Minerals like iron, calcium & potassium – useful for energy, bones, and muscle function.

✨️Plant protein & phytonutrients – which help with satiety, blood sugar balance and inflammation.

Does it have caffeine in it?

✨️Moringa leaf powder is naturally caffeine-free. If your latte only uses moringa (plus milk/water), there’s no caffeine.

Does it taste like Matcha?

✨️It can look like matcha, but it doesn’t taste the same.

Moringa: mild, earthy, “spinach-y” green flavour; slightly bitter if strong.

Matcha: grassy with a little sweetness and a distinct umami depth.

If you want a matcha-latte vibe (without caffeine), try your moringa with creamy plant milk, a dash of vanilla, and a touch of maple or cinnamon.

‼️A few notes: quality matters, start small (it has quite an earthy flavour!), and always check with your practitioner or GP if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, on medication, or managing a health condition.